


Triage

by tresa_cho



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Natural Disasters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-27
Updated: 2011-09-27
Packaged: 2017-10-24 02:35:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/257956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tresa_cho/pseuds/tresa_cho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim thought natural disasters were the hardest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Triage

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the buckleup_meme. Originally posted here: http://buckleup-meme.livejournal.com/5309.html?thread=230589#t230589

Sometimes, Jim thought the worst things were the natural disasters.

With wars he could get angry. He could rant and curse and hate the people who started them, the stupid people who put innocent lives in danger. He could topple dictators, and save victims, and he had some control over the situation. Natural disasters, though... He had nobody to curse, nobody to channel his anger through. He couldn't punch anyone in the face over a flood or tsunami or solar flare... There was nothing to be done but clean up.

They had been pulling people out of the water all day. A freak coronal mass emission had caused a violent shift in the Caldarian's planet's plates, and sent tsunamis flooding much of the planet's coastlines. The Enterprise had been one of the close Federation ships, and was sent to respond. Jim had never felt more helpless, dragging child after child from the raging waters, and plopping them into someone else's hands for triage. He was soaked, he was chilled to the bone, and he felt like his muscles would come apart if he leapt into the water one more time.

The frantic pace slowed during the night, as the rescuers started to give up hope of finding anyone alive in the waters. It was time to treat the survivors now. Everyone else was lost.

Jim was given triage duty as dawn cracked over the horizon, setting the water afire with red, glowing ripples and giving the disaster area an unholy orange hue. He funneled the worst into Bones' tent, and did his best to offer first aid to those who were a bit better off. He was used to holding people's lives in his hands, but the experience was not once something he enjoyed.

They were given a brief respite when the Setsuna crew landed. Their doctors poured into the area and gave the crew of the Enterprise a much needed break. It took Jim nearly an hour before he found Bones, though. He was leaning wearily against a tree, overlooking the flooded wasteland. From the way he stood, the tree was the only thing keeping him upright.

Jim approached him and cleared his throat, not wanting to startle him. "You all right?" Jim asked quietly. Bones glanced down at his hands, which were covered in blood, and scrubbed at them absently.

"Yea," Bones said gruffly, his voice hoarse. He had a surgeon's mask draped around his neck that he hadn't gotten a chance to remove yet. Jim placed a muddy hand on Bones' shoulder, gripping firmly. Bones shook his head slowly, eyes vacant as he stared out at the invading ocean. "There's so much out of my control," he said. "There's so many people and there's just not enough time."

"You did your best," Jim said softly, pressing in on Bones' side.

"My best isn't good enough," Bones bit out harshly, clenching his arms over his chest. Jim rubbed his hand over a tense forearm, clearing it of a mud splatter before reaching all the way around Bones to embrace him.

"Your best is all I can ask," Jim murmured into Bones' shoulder. Bones remained tense in his arms. Jim ran his hand over Bones' back. Bones turned to him, as if just noticing he was there.

"You're covered in mud," he said bleakly.

"I know," Jim responded, not lifting his head from Bones' shoulder. Bones finally loosened his arms and reached up to cup the back of Jim's neck, holding him close. Jim shifted as Bones turned his whole body, and grabbed his CMO in a fierce hug. Bones buried his face in Jim's throat with a deep, shaky sigh. Jim just held him. They could only give their all. Push themselves to the limit and hope that they'd be able to make it through the worst sometimes.


End file.
